A Life So Changed
by walkingonsunshine83
Summary: "Where are we going? A movie? Come on Deeks, one more hint?" It was Kensi's turn to work her charm on him; she gave him a look that he normally only saw on Monty.     "The puppy dog eyes, really? You think that's going to work on me? I invented that look.
1. Distant Memories

April 2nd, 2012

-oOo-

The bullpen was quiet, it was just before nine in the morning and Kensi Blye had arrived early to finish the never ending paperwork. She was working steadily, with no distractions until she heard a locker close and footsteps. "Hey, Kens, can I ask you a favor?" Kensi glanced up from her desk in surprise; her partner was asking her for a favor. Marty Deeks wasn't the type to ask favors, he was the type to badger you until you gave in, with sheer annoyance.

She gave him a slight smile as he rounded the divider and leaned back against his desk across from hers, "What do you need, Deeks?" She figured since he was asking rather than demanding, she'd lay off on the sarcasm that was her default response.

Deeks was uncharacteristically subdued; it even looked like he was having trouble wording what he needed to ask her. Kensi's smile grew as he stood there looking like a fish with his mouth opening and closing rapidly. "Spit it out, Deeks! Normally you won't shut up, what's going on?"

He answered in a rush, finally seeming to find the words he needed, "I know you hate surprises, but I'd like to surprise you with something tonight. Can I do that, no questions asked, no complaints, can you just trust me on this?"

"What's going on, Deeks?" Kensi's smile faltered as she ran through scenarios in her head. She could see how nervous he was by his posture alone.

He took a few steps forward and placed his hands on her desk and leaned forward a bit to answer, "Nothing bad, I promise. I just want to take you some place and have it be a surprise. I guarantee we will have fun and if you don't, you can drive for the next month and you can control the radio station with your crappy techno and I won't even complain about it. Just please let me do this."

His earnestness was disarming as was the charm smile that he'd unleashed after he finished his plea. She looked up into his blue eyes, prepared to say no and instead found her mouth forming the word yes. It escaped before she could stop it and if the way Deeks responded to that simple yes was any indication of his joy, she didn't really want to take it back; despite her hatred of surprises.

"Excellent! Barring any case, we can leave here around six." He paused and turned serious again, "Thanks for trusting me with this, Kensi."

She smiled back at him, shrugging her shoulders a little, "You're my partner." That really said it all. She trusted him in life or death situations, she should be able to trust his entertainment choices for one evening. "Dress code?" She recognized the beginnings of a leer on his face, "Forget I asked. I'm not changing into anything short and/or tight and revealing. Not happening."

He grinned, "No need, jeans are just fine, Fern." He stepped back from her desk as he saw Callen and Sam heading their way. He greeted their fellow teammates with his typical sunny smile before sitting at his desk to get started on his pile of paperwork that somehow seemed higher than that of the three agents combined. He groaned, "How come it always seems I have way more paperwork than you guys?"

Callen and Sam smirked at each other, answering in unison; "LAPD Liaison Officer!"

-oOo-

The day continued on relatively low key. They spent their time working on paperwork and checking for new leads on cold-cases, not finding anything significant to warrant a late night. Sam and Callen headed to the gym to spar at around half past five and Deeks and Kensi continued on with paperwork, with Deeks getting increasingly restless as the time crept closer to six.

Kensi had been slightly distracted most of the day, unable to imagine what the surprise was for the evening. She and Deeks had been growing ever closer, especially since they'd solved her father's murder and she'd been reunited with her mother. She'd stopped by his place after seeing her mom for the first time in fifteen years and they'd talked. She'd explained her search for answers about her dad and she'd thanked him for taking care of her mom. Kensi smiled at that thought. Deeks had made an impression on her mom, Julia had mentioned "the cute detective" several times in their conversation that night and each time they'd seen each other since. She glanced up from her paperwork to see Deeks gathering his things up and shutting down his computer. He noticed her looking at him and smiled, "Ready to rock?"

"This better be good, Deeks; I'm ready for some beer and my couch." Kensi began packing up her stuff as well.

"Oh, don't worry, Princess; this will be so much better than a night watching Top Model re-runs!" They both chuckled at the memory of their evening after the King case. They headed towards their lockers after turning in their paperwork with Nell; Kensi grabbed her bag and Deeks pulled out his jacket.

Chatting about plans for the next weekend, they made their way to the parking lot where Kensi tossed Deeks her keys. "You know where we're going, you get to drive. Just don't scratch it!"

"Hey, I'm not the one with a penchant for crashing or otherwise damaging cars here!"

"Shut up and drive, Detective." They both laughed as they pulled out of the Mission, both feeling confident that the night was off to a great start.

-oOo-

They headed in the direction of Deeks' apartment, before pulling into a drive-in restaurant a few block away. Kensi had driven by the burger joint more times than she could count but had never eaten there.

"Dinner first, this place has the best burgers and shakes." Deeks parked the car and they made their way into the drive-in, Kensi smiled at the Fifties era décor. It looked like someplace her dad would have taken her; pictures of classic cars dotting the walls, real ice cream milk shakes and monster burgers. They perused the menu and Deeks settled on a Southern California Classic with avocado, Swiss cheese and bacon. Kensi went for the All American Classic Bacon Double Cheeseburger, almost daring Deeks to make a comment. He refrained and they both ordered shakes.

They sat with their food in a back booth and Kensi motioned to one of the cars pictured on the wall. She explained that it was a 1966 Chevy II Nova SS Sport Coupe. He father had owned one and they spent weekends fixing it up. It was the car she learned to drive in. She chuckled, "It was an awful pea green. I was mortified driving that boat around base with Dad. That was our next project, to paint it. I wanted cherry red, Dad was insisting on black."

Deeks smiled at the thought of a teenage Kensi learning to drive; considering how she drives as an adult, he wondered how bad a driver she'd been as a teen and just how she managed to pass her driving test. "You seem to be talking about your dad more lately."

Kensi took a long pull of her shake before answering, "Yeah, I guess getting some closure has allowed me to think about the good times we had together, not just the way it ended. We had a lot of fun, Dad and I. Mom was always on the fringes, I don't think she knew what to do with a girl that liked cars and camping more than dolls and dress up." She paused and reached for a few fries before continuing, "When Mom left, we were stationed at Pendleton. A few months later we moved to Camp Lejeune. A good friend of Dad's was stationed there as well; he and his wife took me in after Dad died. I stayed with them and their two daughters for the next two and a half years before I left for college. Mom wanted me to come live with her after Dad died. I never took any of her calls and I refused to see her. I wish I'd done things differently back then; let Mom be a part of my life."

Deeks reached across the table and laid his hand over her hand that was tracing patterns in the water ring left by her shake, "Kens, you were a hurting teenager. You did what you thought was best and it led you here. You have your mom back now, you can't look at the 'what if's.'"

Her hand stilled beneath his and she gave him a small smile, "I know. I just wish she'd been around to talk to, give me advice about boys and college and life; that sort of thing."

Deeks laughed, "Oh ho! Kensi and boys! This I've got to hear!"

"Oh, no, you don't," Kensi replied quickly, "There is nothing to tell."

"Sure there is: first crush, first kiss, first boyfriend, first time making out under the bleachers, losing your..." he trailed off at the look in Kensi's eye. The glare she was shooting him was halfhearted at best, so he threw her a smirk, "Pretty please?"

"Are you going to tell me about Marcia DeLuka, Casanova?"

"Oh, ho, ho. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. She moved to Reseda my junior year… Short skirts and an even shorter attention span. She went from guy to guy for the first few months she was there. Always a football jock and never for more than two weeks. Baseball season started in January and she moved on to the Varsity starting line. She'd gone through the pitcher and shortstop before she tried to get me."

"Tried?" Kensi interjected.

Deeks got a faraway look in his eye as he thought back to his first serious girlfriend, "Yep, tried. I was in love with this girl and I wasn't about to be her two week boy-toy. I rebuffed her every chance I got. She got fed up and moved on to my buddy for a few weeks before she came back around at me. She was using him to get information on me. It was much harder to resist her the second time around. She had these legs that went on for miles…" He trailed off as he saw Kensi roll her eyes. "But I ignored her. Until the next semester when we had nearly every class together and by some cruel twist of fate, we were lab partners in physics."

"Hence your lack of knowledge on the subject."

"Hey, I passed that class with an A-! I guess none of it stuck with me though." Deeks took a couple of fries, using the pause to collect his thoughts. Kensi had been remarkably open with him about her parents. It was time he repaid the courtesy. "A few weeks in to the semester, she cornered me in the locker room, after practice. We were supposed to meet in the library for a study session, but she met me there. We were alone and one thing led to another. I was by no means a saint at that point, but I'd never actually gone all the way. She knew how to get a guy going, though; she'd had lots of practice. It wasn't romantic or particularly good but after that we got pretty good together. We actually stayed together for several months and I thought she really loved me."

He paused again; this was the hard part of the story. He swallowed before looking up in to Kensi's eyes, "Just before summer vacation, we had a pregnancy scare. She thought she was pregnant and really, it was a serious possibility. We'd never been really careful about protection. She freaked out. I freaked out. She broke up with me; and I was devastated. I didn't have a good dad, I didn't know what to do, but I knew that I could be a better dad than mine and I would have been there for her and the baby. She got her period three weeks later, but she was done with me. The crazy part is that she actually got pregnant halfway through our senior year and she stayed with the guy. I saw them at our ten year reunion, they're still together." He gave Kensi a wan smile, "And that is the story of Marcia DeLuka."

Kensi returned the smile, "I can see why you have such fond memories of her." They both chuckled at that. "Seriously, though, I have no doubt you'd have done a great job as a father, even scared out of your mind."

Popping the last fry in his mouth, Deeks replied, "Thank you." He finished chewing and then said, "OK, if you won't tell me about your first kiss, will you tell me about how you met Jack?"

"Oh, that's not asking for much, is it?" Kensi paused, "Not tonight, Deeks; but I will, I promise."

"Fair enough." They both had finished their burgers and were gathering the remains of their meal to throw away, "You ready for my surprise?"

Kensi sighed, "I'm still not sure how I let you talk me into this." They stood in unison, heading for the door, stopping briefly by the garbage can to dispose of the paper baskets, cups and napkins from dinner. They nodded their thanks to the gal at the counter and made their way back out to Kensi's car.

"It was my considerable charm that convinced you." Deeks replied.

An unladylike snort and a muttered, "Yeah, right," was all the reply Kensi felt that erroneous assumption warranted. They slid into the car and pulled back into traffic and headed towards the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

"Can I get a hint about what we're doing?"

The smile Deeks wore grew even bigger, if that was possible. He said in an awful British accent, "'Take her to sea, Mr. Murdoch. Let's stretch her legs.'"

Kensi felt that she should know what was obviously a quote; but wherever it was from, whatever it indicated remained on the edge of her subconscious. Her face was thoughtful as she tried to recall the reference. Deeks flashed a quick grin at her inability to place the quote. He would have been suitably impressed had she gotten it on the first try, despite her obvious familiarity with the subject. "That is all you get, Ms. Blye. You'll just have to wait until showtime!"

"Showtime? A movie? Or a play? Come on Deeks, one more hint?" It was Kensi's turn to work her charm on Deeks; she gave him a look that he normally only saw on Monty.

"The puppy dog eyes, really? You think that's going to work on me? I practically invented that look."

Kensi huffed a little at this and then pulled her features in to a sultry smile she usually reserved for distracting marks while undercover. She turned in her seat to fully face him and reached her hand across the console. She began tip-toeing her fingers across his knee and her voice lowered to a purr, "Oh, come on, Marty. You know I hate surprises. I'll make it worth your while if you tell me."

Deeks was surprisingly serious when he glanced over at her, "Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, Fern."

Kensi pulled back a little, aware that she was dangerously close to crossing a line in their "thing." Despite the growing feelings she had for her partner and the date-like atmosphere of the evening, she wasn't sure she was ready to go there just yet.

OOo

**End Part 1**

**A/N: **Part 2 will be posted tomorrow!

This story would not have seen the light of day without the awesome and amazing **JMHaughey**, she doesn't even watch the show but she encouraged me, nonetheless! **MPRMusings** was also a huge help, especially with the characterizations of Deeks and Kensi as well as plying me with Seattle Chocolates and sending me my own Monty. She's also great at indulging my love of Deeks in those two-tone baseball shirts... yeah, those! :o)

Thanks for taking the time to read, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story and on the characterizations of Deeks and Kensi!

Oh, and I don't own NCIS:LA!


	2. An Ocean of Memories

-oOo-

They pulled into the Galleria's parking lot and rather than pull around to the front, Deeks made his way towards the back of the mall and the service entrances. "You will find out soon enough anyway, we're here!"

"Here? You're taking me to the back alley of a mall." The look of absolute incredulity that crossed Kensi's face was priceless. She shook her head, her dark hair sliding across her shoulders. The motion kicked up a wave of the slightly spicy fragrance that Deeks had come to associate with Kensi. He inhaled deeply; he really did love that smell. He smiled as he put the car in park and opened the door.

Deeks meet Kensi at the hood of the car, "All will be revealed in due time." He motioned to a nondescript door in the brick wall. There was no door handle and Kensi look puzzled. Deeks knocked on the door and stepped back, sliding his hands in his pockets almost bashfully. He shrugged his shoulders, "I know a guy."

"Of course you do." Kensi began as the door opened. A tall, almost gangly, young man stepped out and greeted Deeks like he was his long lost brother, complete with a manly hug and lots of back slapping.

Kensi let the chit chat go on for a moment before subtly clearing her throat. She smiled at the men and Deeks motioned to her, "Rob, this is my partner, Kensi. Kensi, this is a buddy of mine, Rob."

Rob stuck out his hand and shook Kensi's hand, "It's nice to finally meet the legendary Kensi. Marty won't shut up about you."

Kensi smirked at Deeks, "Really?" she said with a little lilt to her voice. She continued, "Good to know. It's nice to meet you as well, Rob. How did you meet Marty?"

"Marty and my older brother Chris went through the academy together; Chris and Marty would come home for my mom's dinners a few times a week. Well, Chris came home for dinner. Marty came over to see my sister, April."

At this revelation, Deeks flushed and held up his hands, "OK, that's enough bonding, you two. Rob, lets get this show on the road." Kensi laughed and winked at Rob as they made their way through the door.

Kensi looked up at the cavernous space they were entering. She recognized it immediately; the dim lighting, giant screen and row upon rows of theater seats extending towards the back. A movie theater. An empty movie theater. Deeks was taking her to see a movie? She looked at him in surprise, "What are we doing here?"

The smirk on Deeks face betrayed his comment as sarcasm, "Well, I imagine were going to watch a movie." He motioned for Kensi to follow Rob, who was climbing the stairs towards the back of the theater.

Her snappy reply was tempered by a smile, "So I gathered. I guess a better question is why are we seeing a movie and why are we the only people here?"

Rob had reached a row a few from the very back and motioned Kensi to enter. She was halfway down the row when she stopped; there was a giant box of popcorn sprinkled with what looked like Butterfinger Bites along with two large cups of soda. She glanced back and smiled at Deeks, "Seriously? You set this all up?"

Deeks settled into the seat next to her and glanced back at Rob, nodding his thanks. Rob waved and then disappeared out a service door. "Rob owed me a favor, so he helped me with this. We have the whole theater to ourselves and all the popcorn we could eat. Oh, and we can't forget these." He pulled two pairs of glasses out of his shirt pocket; handing one to Kensi before donning a pair himself and giving her the cheesiest grin she'd ever seen. There was just enough light for Kensi to make out his eyes behind what she now recognized as 3-D glasses, she grinned back and slid her glasses on as well.

"So, what are we seeing? I don't even know what's out right now." She took a handful of popcorn as she turned to face him fully, "It's obviously something in 3-D... The new Spiderman movie isn't coming out until this summer, right?"

Deeks took a sip of his soda before answering, "It is in 3-D and no, it's not Spiderman. Although, it's pretty hot that you want to see that." Kensi snorted. Typical Deeks comment, she thought. The screen was still black and she racked her brain to think what movie they could be seeing and why it was so important that Deeks had set up this remarkable like-a-date-night night.

The lights dimmed even further as the Paramount logo appeared on the screen, signaling the start of the movie. She turned her full focus to the screen as the logo faded out. The haunting music was familiar and the sepia tones of the historic film blurred through her now watery eyes. She knew this movie. She knew the ship that was slowly coming into focus. "'Titanic.'" She breathed out in an almost reverent whisper. "You brought me to see 'Titanic'?"

"I know it's your favorite movie. They're doing the 3-D opening on Wednesday for the 100th anniversary of the sinking. The theater has to run through the film before they show it opening day to make sure it's functioning. I talked Rob into letting us watch it." Deeks' eyes hadn't left Kensi and he watched the range of emotions play across her face.

"Deeks, this is incredible. I... thank you. Just, thank you." She was glad the glasses hid her eyes; she's sure he'd be able to see the tenderness in her gaze as she looked at him. He planned this wonderful surprise just for her. Kensi wasn't sure that she'd had anyone since her parents focus this much attention on her and how to make her happy. She grasped his hand and fell silent again as she focused on the story of Rose and Jack.

Beside her, Deeks was barely able to focus on the movie. He was thrilled that his surprise was a success. With Kensi, it really could have gone either way; she could have ended up hating him for this surprise. Instead, they'd had a fantastic dinner date and now she was holding his hand during arguably one of the most romantic movies of all time.

They continued to watch the movie in near silence, aside from the occasional quiet chuckle and munching of popcorn. Deeks felt himself flush during the love scene; he wouldn't consider himself a prude, but watching that while sitting next to the girl he was falling in love with was slightly awkward.

Deeks wisely didn't comment when Kensi began sniffling as the ship began to sink; he pulled a napkin from under the popcorn tub and passed it to Kensi who took it with a grateful smile. Deeks hadn't seen 'Titanic' in years, probably since it was in the theater the first time and he'd sat through it for a girlfriend. He'd forgotten just how moving the story was and how stirring and evocative the music was. He felt his eyes begin to water and rapidly blinked back his own tears. He tangled his fingers with Kensi's and she squeezed his hand in return.

As the movie drew to a close and the credits rolled, Kensi pushed the 3-D glasses up into her hair and dabbed the corners of her eyes one last time with the napkin. The theater lights slowly brightened and she turned to face Deeks. She looked thoughtful and her smile was wistful, "I'd already seen 'Titanic' that afternoon, it was opening day, December 19th. I don't know why I insisted on seeing it again that night. I guess I was just being a stubborn little girl. Dad went out with some of the guys in his unit for a beer. My mom had left the year before; it was just my dad and I. My friend Ashley had just turned 16 and her parent's had bought her a car. It was Christmas break and we just wanted to have fun and watch a movie. She came and picked me up. We had a great time; eating popcorn, swooning over Leo DiCaprio, crying at the end. I made it back home just before midnight, sure that my dad would be home soon. I went right to bed. I didn't want to talk to him, I was still so mad at him. I woke up the next morning to the MP's knocking on the door. My world ended."

Kensi reached for Deeks' hand and threaded her fingers through his again. She settled her head on his shoulder and inhaled deeply. Her senses were filled with Deeks, his scent, his touch, his presence. He was comforting to her in a way that she hadn't felt since her dad was alive. She felt a tear make its way down her cheek and into the fabric of the black dress shirt that stretched across Deeks' shoulders. She sniffed and Deeks leaned his head onto hers, offering a small measure of comfort.

"I'm not sure why I still love this stupid movie. I think it's because it was one of the last moments of being a normal teen I had. Life changed after that."

They sat in silence for a few more moments, each lost in thoughts of the past and hopes for the future. Kensi felt as if this movie was a harbinger of sorts, bringing immeasurable change to her life each time she watched it. The first change had been devastating and horrific with the loss of her father and all that was familiar but she felt this new change could be exciting and something different for both her and Deeks. She knew that after all they had shared with each other that night they could only continue to move forward and solidify their "thing." She was both scared and excited about entering into a relationship with Deeks. A personal relationship with Marty Deeks. It was the first time she'd actually allowed herself to think about that in conjunction with Deeks. The last time she'd opened herself up to a man; it had just about destroyed her. She knew Deeks was different though, he'd shown more care for her just as work partners than Jack had ever shown her and she'd been engaged to him. She trusted Deeks with her life; it was time to trust him with her heart. She smiled into his neck and whispered her thanks again. He kissed her forehead and sat up, "You ready to head home?"

She straightened as well, "Sure." They gathered the remnants of the popcorn and soda and they stood and moved to the door they had entered, throwing the garbage away as they passed a trash can.

They exited the theater hand in hand and Deeks led Kensi to the car. Kensi rolled her eyes as he made to open the door for her but she graciously smiled as she slid on to the seat. Deeks jogged around the car and jumped in the driver's seat, "Your place?"

Kensi nodded and reached across the console for the second time that evening. This time it wasn't in an attempt to tease, it was to seek out his hand to hold, a gesture of intimacy and comfort. Deeks brought their joined hands up to his lips and kissed the back of Kensi's hand. They both chuckled at the corny move. The evening had been an even better success than Deeks had thought to hope for; they hadn't said it in so many words but the shift to romantic partners had been made and both were excited for that change. It had been a long time coming.

The drive passed quickly and all too soon they had arrived at Kensi's bungalow. Deeks released Kensi's hand and they both exited the car. They traversed the short walk to her front door once again holding hands; it seemed that now they had begun touching, they couldn't stop. Kensi wasn't sure she wanted the night to end yet but she knew inviting him in would move their relationship a little too fast. They both needed time to wrap their minds around this new development. Kensi paused at the door, keys in hand, "Deeks, I had a great time tonight. Thank you for planning this for me, I loved it."

"I'm glad you had a good time, Kens." Deeks slid his hand from hers and slid it up her arm, curling it around her elbow, he stepped forward into her space and looked down into her mismatched eyes, "Thank you for trusting me with this."

Kensi instinctively knew that he wasn't just talking about their evening and the things they had shared, he was thanking her for trusting him with her heart. She shrugged a little and said, "You're my partner."

Deeks would never be sure who closed the distance first, but suddenly they were locked in the sweetest kiss he'd ever experienced. It was tentative and slow at first but as they grew familiar with each other in this new way, they gained confidence. Kensi's arms slid up around his neck to draw him closer; somewhere along the way, her keys had fallen to the pavement with a crash. Deeks slid his arms around her slight waist as he felt Kensi sigh into his mouth. Deeks pulled back just enough to catch his breath and leaned his forehead against hers. "I should go, we need to take this slow."

Kensi nodded in understanding, "I know, but I really don't want you to go." She placed a series of relatively chaste kisses on his lips and he groaned.

"You are killing me here." It took all the strength Deeks possessed to pull himself away from his beautiful partner. "OK, I'm going." He took the steps two at a time as he headed back towards her car.

Kensi picked up her house keys and unlocked the door before turning back to him with a grin on her face; "You better pick me up on time in the morning, you still have my car. And bring coffee!"

"And donuts; you got it, Princess!"

-oOo-

**Fin!**

**A/N: **I don't own NCIS:LA nor do I own 'Titanic,' although I do have my VHS copy in storage!

The title of this story comes from a song on the 'Titanic' soundtrack, "A Life So Changed,' the most recognizable after "My Heart Will Go On." I was 14 when the movie came out, so I very much identify with Kensi's love of 'Titanic.' I think I saw it 12 times in the theater. I listened to the soundtrack on repeat while writing this.

Thanks again to the wonderful **JMHaughey** and **MPR**, couldn't have done it without you!

Thanks for taking the time to read, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story and on the characterizations of Deeks and Kensi!


End file.
